Santa Monica Place awarded LEED Gold

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Santa Monica Place, the open-air shopping center in downtown Santa Monica, Calif., has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.



“We have long said that the most sustainable building is one that already exists, and our decision to reuse and redesign the existing structure into what you see today – a three-level, open-air property with views, fresh air and plenty of sunshine – was an essential step toward LEED certification," said Art Coppola, chairman and CEO Macerich



By recycling the existing structure into the current Santa Monica Place, Macerich turned a climatized indoor mall into an outdoor center, reducing/offsetting 3,060,024 million kWhs energy, and during construction, diverted more than 90% of construction, totaling 68,519,409 lbs., from landfills. In terms of the property's ongoing operations, Macerich makes use of “14 Points of Presence” (POPs) throughout the property to integrate operational disciplines, such as energy management, metering/submetering, UMS, CCTV, access control, Wi-Fi, voice over IP, digital signage, concierge, valet and parking management services into a single, robust infrastructure. The center also incorporates water-efficient landscaping, a green roof element and many other sustainable property features.



Santa Monica Place's LEED Gold certification comes in the Core and Shell category, which reflects the role of a shopping center developer with respect to individual tenants and their own store build-outs.



Santa Monica Place features approximately 550,000 sq. ft. on three levels.